This is a Trip Report from the Premium Economy cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
Straight up to security and straight through. I did notice that Travelex were offering dollars at $1.40 to the pound. I got $1.49 from the Co-op in Mansfield the day before yesterday! A brief look at the shops, then all up to the clubhouse. We all booked treatments without a problem – 2 x massages and 1 x haircut. We had eaten at the hotel, so just set up camp in a very quiet Clubhouse. Service was excellent and we were soon set up with drinks – with frequent offers of top ups. Christopher and I had a game of pool – an honourable 1-1 draw and then we had a spot of lunch. The new menu looks very nice, (see below) but we both went up to the deli for a lovely selection of meats, cheeses, salads and bread – all washed down with a cold Peroni.
I think that some of the cutbacks we have seen recently in the Clubhouse have been reversed – better newspaper selection, better sweet selection in the jars by the pool table, and a much better selection at the deli counter. The new menu is also very appealing:-
Breakfast:
The Clubhouse British Breakfast
The Gardener’s Breakfast
Kedgeree
Sausage / bacon sandwich
Brioche French Toast
Eggs Benedict
Fruit Salad.
A la carte
Lighter bites
Chilled cucumber soup
Feta and orange salad
Char grilled asparagus
Spicy Merguez Sausage open sandwich
Bigger bites
Baked chicken lasagne
Hot salt beef and rye bread sandwich
Confit duck pancakes
Ginger beer battered tofu (vegan)
Seared salmon nicoise
Chicken tikka masala and pilau rice.
Naughty but nice.
Home made pistachio cake
Warm grilled peaches
Fresh fruit salad
Ice cream.
Add to this the excellent deli selection, then I am sure there will be something to suit most people. I saw someone with the salt beef sandwich and it looked lovely.
When the flight was called, it was a bit of a surprise to find we are at a bus gate 24b. There was quite a queue, with no official priority boarding sign, but a steward took us straight to the front and we got straight onto a waiting bus. We were given a bit of a backstage tour of Heathrow buiding sites before pulling up at the steps of Cosmic Girl.
As our seats are right next to the entrance door, so the crew asked us to sit at the UC bar and have some drinks, while the rest of the passengers were boarding. No real hardship, it has to be said! They kept us supplied with drinks, and it was good to have a bit of a chat with the crew as the rest of the passengers piled on in fits and starts, as the buses kept pulling up.
The captain said the flight time will be a quick 6 hours 19 minutes and it should be a smooth trip. We had boarded at 2.30pm, but didn’t push back until 3.20pm and then went out to runway 9R. We took off to the east at 3.40pm and then did a sharp 180 degree turn to head out to the west. We got great views of Wembley, Twickenham and Royal Ascot then we followed the Thames for a while. The FSM was sat across from us and suddenly noticed that the seatbelt sign had gone off . Sue said that it had never actually been on!
As we levelled out amenity kits, headphones and menus were given out, then there was a drinks service.
The meal is:
Starter Cajun chicken with mixed salad leaves and creamy dressing.
Mains:
Chicken biriyani – a medium spiced curry with rice, peas and fried onions.
Braised silverside beef with mashed potato, baby carrots and gravy
Pasta ribbons in creamy spinach sauce topped with sun blushed tomatoes and grated parmesan.
Dessert
Beckleberry’s blackcurrant mousse
Cheese and biscuits,
I had the chicken, and have to say it was very good , Christopher had the beef and Sue had the beef. All of us were reasonably happy with the meals, except that Sue’s beef was a bit fatty.
They were very generous with second round of wines, teas and coffee, then finished off with brandy or Bailey’s.
During the flight there was an ice cream and a juice / water run.
The snack before landing was a choice of brownie or fruit cake with tea or coffee. We landed into a very sunny Logan at 5.10pm. The pilot says it is 34 degrees, but the spectre of Hurricane Earl looms large. We were held up off stand for a short time to that there was a space for us. We were then first off the plane, had a bit of a trek to an absolutely deserted Immigration Hall, then into baggage reclaim. Our bags were among the first off and we were land side by 5.30pm which has to be a record.
All in all an excellent experience. Having read some of the negatives recently, it was nice to have my faith in the airline confirmed. I hope the return and our two other upcoming trips live up this one.
Nick
, my favourite kind 
Have a great trip - hope you avoid Earl's clutches.
) and hope that Earl does not put too much of a dampener on your trip
